Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird's recent mission to Latin America cannot mask Canada's unprecedented diplomatic isolation in the hemisphere. Despite shifting 'aid' to the region and claiming to have made Latin America a priority, Ottawa is increasingly offside with a region breaking free from centuries of Western imperialism.

The people of Latin America have been able to make their voices heard through the ballot box, electing governments responsive to their concerns and aspirations. During the 1970s and 1980s, when dictators like Pinochet reigned supreme, this would have seemed a dream to many.